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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22867156">Three's A Crowd</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurplePanda/pseuds/PurplePanda'>PurplePanda</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hollyoaks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:29:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>993</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22867156</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurplePanda/pseuds/PurplePanda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>James wants Liam but he can't let go of the past. Liam moves on but James doesn't want to let him go.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Nightingale/Liam Donovan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Three's A Crowd</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>25th February 2020</p><p>Liam sat alone outside the club, the day had really taken its toll on him. Jesse was his little brother, he was meant to protect him and here he was burying him. He had never had it easy, but then who does, life is a bitch to everyone at some point. He sunk back his beer and looked up at the rain trickling down on him, he closed his eyes, letting it fall onto his face, in the hope it would wash away the tears that were now rolling down his cheeks. "How are you doing?" James asked as he moved towards him and sat down next to him. Liam wiped his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, words failing him, he had know idea how he was doing. "It was a really beautiful service"</p><p>"No, it wasn't" Liam replied "I wanted it to be perfect"</p><p>"It was, Jesse would be proud of you"</p><p>"Most of it was Courtney, I didn't really do anything".</p><p>There was a silence for a few minutes "I am sorry I haven't been more supportive"</p><p>"Why would you be James, I think you made your feelings perfectly clear when you kissed John-Paul"</p><p>"What happened between us, I'm sorry for the way it ended, I wasn't in the best place and-"</p><p>"And its all about you, James Nightingale the walking disaster"</p><p>"You are grieving" James stood up "I will give you some space"</p><p>"Space, oh yeah, you are good at that eh, running away when it gets a little tough"</p><p>"I didn't mean to upset you, I just wanted to let you know, if you need anything, I am here for you"</p><p>"What are you, some sort of Saint now?"</p><p>"I think I should go"</p><p>"Go on then go". James began to walk away and Liam chucked his beer bottle and it smashed to the floor. James turned back to face him and noticing the fresh tears rolling down his face, moved and sat back down next to him "Life is a bitch"</p><p>"Liam, I wish there was something I could do or say to help you through this but-" his sentence came to an abrupt end as Liam moved his lips on to his own. James returned the kiss for several seconds before pulling away "This is wrong, I can't do this" he stood back up and sighed "You are upset"</p><p>"Yeah and you are a jerk, just go"</p><p>"I meant what I said, if I can do anything, just not that" he waved his hand between them </p><p>"You know what, how about you just stay away from me". Liam stood up and walked past him and back towards the club, intent on replacing his beer and forgetting his problems the only way he knew how.</p><p>...</p><p>27th February 2020 </p><p>Grace finished wiping the kitchen side and moved over to empty the dishwasher, hearing the knock on the door she huffed to herself and slammed the machine shut and headed through her home towards the door. Pulling it open she sighed as James walked straight in "Do you have a moment?" he asked </p><p>"For you, no" she replied </p><p>"It's important" </p><p>"Yeah well so is emptying my dishwasher" </p><p>"Look, I need to tell Liam that Jesse knew what we did, he has a right to know" </p><p>"Are you joking?" </p><p>"No, Jesse was his brother" </p><p>"He was my brother too" </p><p>"We as good as killed him Grace, I need to tell Liam" </p><p>"No you don't and you aren't going to" </p><p>"I cannot believe you are happy lying to him" </p><p>"What happened to Jesse was a tragic accident" </p><p>"No" </p><p>"Yes, you need to get over this and pull yourself together" </p><p>"Liam made a pass at me, at the funeral and I knocked him back because I can't even look him in the eye without the guilt eating me up" </p><p>"Jesse drank himself to death, yes what he knew played a part in it but it was an accident" </p><p>"I need to tell Liam, I really care about him and-" </p><p>"Oh my god, do you love him?" </p><p>"No, no but I could have a future with him, make a go of things with him but he needs to know the truth" </p><p>"He doesn't and he isn't going too" </p><p>"You cannot stop me from telling him Grace" </p><p>"I don't need to" she replied "He has gone, Liam left yesterday and he isn't coming back" </p><p>"Where has he gone?" </p><p>"As if I would tell you that and don't bother calling him, he left his phone behind" </p><p>"Because of me?" </p><p>"No, God you really have a high opinion of yourself" she replied "he left because he needs a fresh start, away from everything here" </p><p>"I need to see him, you have to tell me where he is" </p><p>"You need to let him move on from what happened with Jesse, with you, let him go James". </p><p>... </p><p>September 2020 </p><p>The voices from the living room made James groan, he had a hangover, which wasn't an unusual experience now, he found himself drinking until he forgot all his past troubles and the train wreck he called his life. He tightened his dressing gown and moved into the living room "It is just gone eight on a Sunday do we really need this level of noise". The young girl turned to face him, he glanced at his mother before back to her "Ellie, you are home" she stood up and moved to him and pulled him into an awkward hug </p><p>"I am, I had to come back, I have news" she was beaming and her smile was infectious "I'm getting married" she flashed an engagement ring at him</p><p>"Wow" he rose his eyebrows in his sarcastic manner and his mother frowned at him "Who is the lucky man?" he asked </p><p>"Hello James" he turned to the man as he walked into the room from the kitchen and towards his sister, tucking his arm neatly round her back </p><p>"Liam"</p>
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